VERTICAL SUBURB

Individual Work

August - November 2020

Instructor: Sarah Huiseung Song

Melbourne, Australia

The term of collaborative housing is often mentioned with a narrative of sustainability while the majority of the projects adopting this concept stay the field explored already, introducing common area and shared facilities for resource-saving. However, I believe there can be more to do within this concept of collaborative housing.

Based on my research and common sense, land resource will become highly valuable resource due to the population growth while driving private motor vehicles will stay its solid dominant position. The facts existing or can be predicted are on the table, which means a project combine the driveway (infrastructure) and vertical stacking arrangement of dwellings can become essential components of a city . Hence, as we stacking up the dwellings, a large amount of land can be released to become urban restoration which can help balancing the carbon emissions, etc.

Instead of saving resource inside the micro-community, I choose to spare land and offer it back to the greater community or even the city.

The dwelling typology is supposed to provide great width in order to offer view, light and air to the residents. Also it is supposed to be a form mimicking the threshold and layering of typical suburb housing.

The design suggests a interlocking dwelling configuration to meet the requirement mentioned.

Each garage will have two separated entries for two dwellings. One goes upwards, the other one goes downwards. Hence, the whole structure can be more slender and more green space can be spared to benefit the community.

Ground Floor

Dwelling Configuration

Constructing building envelope

1st Floor

2nd Floor

Driveway Structure

The essence of the project, also help to bond the whole building including all the vertical load-bearing components

3rd Floor

4th Floor

Typical Floor Plan

Shear Wall and Truss

Major structural component carrying the load

Structure Analysis